


Cowboys and Ponies

by EntreNous



Category: Psych
Genre: Adoption, Birthday Party, Kid Fic, M/M, ponies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-29
Updated: 2012-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-16 11:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/861378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntreNous/pseuds/EntreNous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shawn and Lassie might disagree just a little on how to raise their daughter (and how to celebrate that important "It's Halfway Until You're Four and a Half!" milestone).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cowboys and Ponies

**Author's Note:**

> For molly_may, who asked for something with Shawn and Lassiter from _Psych_. First _Psych_ fic ever from me! I've not thought much about Shawn/Lassiter before, so I thought I'd try my hand at a dating drabble. But somehow I ended up with kid!fic, a trumped up excuse for a child's party, and over a thousand words of cranky marriage-of-opposites banter and yelling (with lots of Gus on the sidelines).

"That child is going to end up spoiled," Gus said disapprovingly.

"Hmm?" Shawn asked absently as he stepped back to admire the pink-and-purple bouncy castle now that the matching party streamers were up.

"Shawn, you know Lassiter said no to your idea of an "It's Halfway Until You're Four and a Half!" party in the first place. But when he finds out you rented this --"

"Well, I already had the banner ordered. Besides, technically he rented it," Shawn clarified. "I lifted one of his credit cards four days ago. Can you believe he hasn't noticed yet? Plus, you know how Miranda likes things that bounce."

"She likes cheap plastic beach balls, and that Hop-A-Long Pony Plush Hopper I got her for Christmas," Gus argued. "You could've gotten her a pack of two-inch super balls and she would have been thrilled. You're the one that wanted a bouncy castle."

"Untrue! Gus, I am shocked that you think I'm in any way renting this bouncy castle to make up for how my father never let me have fun birthdays when I was a kid!"

"Spencer!" Lassiter shouted as he slammed the driver-side door to his department-issued green boat of a car. Juliet hurried after behind him, looking somewhat apologetic and hiding something behind her back as she jogged along.

"How the two of you have been married for two years and still call each other by your last names, I'll never understand," Gus muttered.

"Says the man who refuses to let anyone call him by his first name of Burton," Shawn shot back. "And anyway, it makes every sexual adventure into an automatic role-play when you stay on a last-name basis. He pretends to be a bitter humorless aging detective who would rather watch _Antiques Roadshow_ than cater to my sensual whims, and I'm the handsome and loveable rapscallion who somehow wheedles exactly what he wants from the situation."

Gus made a pained face as Lassiter broke into a run at them.

"What the hell is this," Lassiter yelled, slamming Shawn against the bouncy castle.

"You know, that's the softest slam you've ever given me?" Shawn said affectionately. "Say, honey, can you give me a hand with the balloons? You need to blow them all up; I got over two hundred."

"Parties and presents are not something we should have all the time. They are for special occasions only," Lassiter said furiously. "I won't have Miranda thinking things are just handed to you, or that you trick your way into getting what you want!"

"But we haven't had a party for her since last month when the lady came to paint everyone's faces with rainbows and happy clouds!" Shawn argued. "Besides, I got a cowboy who's going to come and do lasso tricks."

Lassiter froze, his mouth open to yell and his finger about to poke Shawn in the chest. "Cowboy?" he asked weakly.

"He's bringing his pony," Shawn added.

Lassiter let his other hand fall from where it had tightly gripped Shawn's arm. "There'll be a pony?"

"A miniature one. I think its name is Sheriff. I do know for sure, though, that it has a very deep and abiding respect for the law."

"Where do we put the presents?" Juliet asked awkwardly as Lassiter began searching the horizon for the cowboy's arrival. "And where is Miranda, anyway?"

"My Dad has her," Shawn sighed. "She'll probably show up here all bored from him telling her why princesses can't fly, or making her count how many people were wearing hats on the playground."

"Or he'll bring her back exhausted from a day of spoiling her himself," Gus added just as Henry could be seen walking toward them. Miranda slept soundly with her brown curls spilling over his shoulder, a fluffy pink cat toy clutched in her grubby hands.

"There was a fair near the boardwalk," Henry said gruffly at Shawn's disbelieving look. "What am I supposed to do, not let a kid go to a fair? Besides, that kind of thing can be good for children." He paused as his granddaughter snuggled closer to him in her sleep. "Teaches them stamina," he declared finally.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my father?" Shawn accused. "And exactly how much cotton candy did you let her have, when you never would buy me even one bag?"

"Stop pretending you're all responsible now that you're a father. I'll take her in, give her a bath," Henry said. "Not like I want to wait around for this cowboy nonsense, anyway."

"I'll come too, before the guests arrive," Juliet volunteered. "What, I'm not trying to avoid a party full of cranky four-year-olds," she defended herself when Gus raised his eyebrow at her before backing away in the direction Henry had taken. "I like sleepy snuggles!"

"Oh, look, Lassie; here comes Sheriff," Shawn gestured at the small white pony ambling toward them on its cowboy handler's lead.

"He's so smart," Lassiter said reverently, slipping his arm around Shawn's shoulders. "Look at the badge he's got on his sash!"

"You want to be the one to tell him it’s a girl-pony?" Gus asked in an undertone.

"Who wants to learn how I swing this here butterfly lasso?" the cowboy said heartily, taking out his rope.

"When are the rest of the guests getting here?" Gus whispered to Shawn as Lassiter watched the cowboy's routine intently.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Shawn murmured. "I figured it would take that long to do the balloons. The pony and cowboy are just to soften Lassie up."

"So he'll agree to the bouncy castle," Gus finished for him with a knowing nod.

"No, he just really likes ponies and cowboys, and I thought it would be cute," Shawn whispered. "Well, that, and so he won't get mad when my prototype virtual reality helmets I ordered from Korea arrive next week."

"Virtual reality?" Gus mouthed, impressed. "Nice!" He and Shawn did a soft fist-bump.

"What did you say?" Lassiter interrupted. His eyes shifted from Shawn to Gus and back again suspiciously.

Shawn returned his gaze with an innocent expression. "Nothing. What? Look, Lassie, the cowboy has apples for us to give to Sheriff!"

Lassiter's stubborn expression softened. By the time he'd leaned in to kiss Shawn, swept away in by the excitement and pony-ness of it all, Gus had taken out his planner to see how he could shift around tomorrow's appointments and still make Miranda's afternoon party. After all, it wasn't every day that a little girl who called him Uncle Gussy was halfway to turning four-and-a-half.


End file.
